British Columbians head to the polls on or before Saturday, October 19 for the 2024 Provincial Election.
Vancouver has 12 Electoral Districts, and in each area, locals will cast ballots to determine the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) who will represent their constituencies in the legislature.
To help voters learn more about their options in each of Vancouver's 12 Electoral Districts, V.I.A. sent every candidate an identical questionnaire featuring a series of yes or no questions. Each candidate had the option to provide brief written responses to three of the questions.
Candidates were given a deadline to return the questionnaires to V.I.A.; any responses received after the deadline are not/will not be included. We have noted which candidates did not respond.
V.I.A. is presenting the responses as provided, making edits only when necessary for typographical and grammatical errors.
Meet the candidates for Vancouver-Strathcona
Kimball Cariou (Communist)
- Occupation: Retired journalist
- Where do you live? Housing co-op near Commercial & Hastings
Top priorities for Vancouver (50 words)
Emergency program to build low-income public housing, and other policies to reduce homelessness and protect tenants. Hold regular forums to hear the views of people on critical issues. Tax reforms to transfer wealth from corporate developers to housing, health, and education. Double social assistance and disability rates.
Past achievement(s) (100 words)
As a social justice and peace activist since my days in high school in central Alberta during the 1970s, I have been a lifelong participant in progressive movements. This includes my record as an organizer of anti-war coalitions, and my involvement as an ally of 2SLGBTQI+ communities since the mid-1980s. I was the editor of People's Voice, the newspaper of the Communist Party, for 26 years between 1993 and 2019. In recent years, I have focused more on helping to provide training and classes for younger activists at the Centre for Socialist Education in Vancouver.
Are you committed to keeping SOGI policies in the B.C.’s education system?
As an ally of the 2SLGBTQI+ community since my early political involvement in Regina during the 1980s, I have taken part in many activities and struggles to advance inclusive sexual orientation and gender identity policies. This included the major public debates around the Vancouver School Board policy changes a decade ago, when right-wing forces tried unsuccessfully to block what became SOGI-123 and other advances. More recently, I have been among the activists who mobilized to protect Drag Queen Story Time events and other events against threats by bigots and fascists. The Conservative Party attacks on SOGI-123 must be strongly resisted.
Do you support Truth and Reconciliation with B.C.’s Indigenous population?
YES. This is a critical issue for the future of this province, which was brought into Confederation without any consultation with the original owners of the land we now call British Columbia. Genuine Truth and Reconciliation must include adherence to the terms of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which include that no resource extraction or industrial development can occur without the free, full and prior consent of Indigenous peoples. Shame on the government of BC for its use of injunctions and the RCMP to criminalize Indigenous land defenders and water protectors and their allies.
YES/NO QUESTIONS
- Do you support a provincial carbon tax? YES
- Do you support Bill 44/47 to increase density in residential areas and near rapid transit? YES
- Do you support lower taxes for B.C. businesses? NO
- Should the provincial government do more to protect businesses from vandalism and other crimes? [I can't give either a yes or no, sorry]
- Do you support privatization of health care in B.C.? NO
- Should health-care workers who lost their jobs for not being vaccinated be compensated? NO
- Do you support safe supply of drugs for people with a severe substance-use disorder? YES
- Should we have more supportive housing in Vancouver? YES
- Do you think the province should lobby the federal government for bail reform? YES
- Do you believe in mandatory (involuntary) care for people with a severe substance-use disorder? NO
- Should the province be building more subsidized housing to combat the housing crisis? YES
- Should the market be allowed to determine rents? NO
- Do you think climate change is human-caused? YES
Simon de Weerdt (Green)
- Occupation: Retired Bus Driver / Software Engineer
- Where do you live? Near Britannia Community Center, just off Commercial Drive
Top priorities for Vancouver (50 words)
Eliminate severe poverty by increasing social benefits
Build non-profit social housing on public owned land
Increase Public Transit - fast, frequent and free
Increase Doctors doing medicine vs administration
Community Health Centers integrating care with Psychologists
Addiction Treatment - safer supply by prescription - Measure Results
A Treatment Outcomes database - More Voluntary Treatment
Past achievement(s) (100 words)
BSc Computer Science - UBC - 1999
IronMan Triathlon completed - 2010
Coast Mountain Bus Driver 2006-2019 - Every route in Vancouver
Organized install of 16 EV Chargers for Salsbury Heights Strata 2023
Treasurer role with Strata and Philhellenic Dance club,
Past parent Associations director/treasurer, Recreational soccer coach
YES/NO QUESTIONS
- Do you support a provincial carbon tax? YES
- Do you support Bill 44/47 to increase density in residential areas and near rapid transit? NA
- Are you committed to keeping SOGI policies in the B.C.’s education system? YES
- Do you support Truth and Reconciliation with B.C.’s Indigenous population? YES
- Do you support lower taxes for B.C. businesses? NA
- Should the provincial government do more to protect businesses from vandalism and other crimes? YES
- Do you support privatization of health care in B.C.? NO
- Should health-care workers who lost their jobs for not being vaccinated be compensated? NA
- Do you support safe supply of drugs for people with a severe substance-use disorder? YES
- Should we have more supportive housing in Vancouver? YES
- Do you think the province should lobby the federal government for bail reform? NA
- Do you believe in mandatory (involuntary) care for people with a severe substance-use disorder? NO
- Should the province be building more subsidized housing to combat the housing crisis? YES
- Should the market be allowed to determine rents? NA
- Do you think climate change is human-caused? YES
NA = No Answer, because YES/NO is not sufficient
Scott Muller (Conservative)
Questionnaire: Not returned by deadline
Joan Phillip (NDP)
Questionnaire: Not returned by deadline
